Re-Drafting the 1st Round of the 2012 NBA Draft

Re-Drafting the 1st Round of the 2012 NBA Draft

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At this point in the 2012-13 NBA season, it's safe to say that many teams would like a redo on their 2012 draft selections.

Unfortunately, the amnesty clause in the league's latest collective bargaining agreement doesn't quite work that way. If teams could re-draft, there would be plenty of room to shake up the 2012 draft order after the first few no-brainer picks.

Let's take a look at how teams would re-draft the 2012 draft class, based on the rookies' performances through mid-January.

Note: Statistics and records are current through games played on Jan. 11. Picks are based on team need, players' pre-draft rankings and their rookie-year performance to date.

No. 1: New Orleans Hornets, Anthony Davis

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Original Pick: Anthony Davis

Damian Lillard may be the Rookie of the Year favorite, but there's no way the New Orleans Hornets would select anyone besides Anthony Davis in a draft redo.

Davis' ability to alter shots defensively made him the only clear franchise player in the 2012 draft; the type of can't-miss prospect who the Hornets couldn't help but select.

He's lived up to that reputation as a rookie, averaging 1.8 blocks in 29.8 minutes per game. He still needs to build lower-body strength to better defend the post, and he needs to improve on his defensive rotations, but those things will come in time.

What's clear already is that Davis has the talent to serve as the Hornets' defensive cornerstone for years to come.

He's dealt with some early injuries—a concussion sidelined him for two games, and an ankle injury knocked him out for 11 more—but nothing that qualifies as enough of a concern to bump him from the No. 1 overall spot in the 2012 re-draft.

No. 2: Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

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Original Pick: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

With Anthony Davis off the board, the Charlotte Bobcats knew they'd need a high-energy player with strong character to build around as the No. 2 overall pick.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist fit that description on draft night and has been one of the major bright spots in an otherwise dismal 2012-13 season for the Bobcats.

His per-game averages of 11 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals don't scream "high-impact player," but it's his well-roundedness that makes him such an asset for the Bobcats.

Kidd-Gilchrist isn't likely to evolve into a 25-point-per-game scorer like Kevin Durant or Carmelo Anthony, but he's a player who's going to give it his all every time he steps onto the court.

For a team that's in the midst of rebuilding, the Bobcats need as many players like that as possible. Kidd-Gilchrist remains worthy of the No. 2 pick for his ability to play hard through a tidal wave of losses.

No. 3: Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal

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Original Pick: Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal has gotten off to a rocky start, but the absence of point guard John Wall earns at least partial blame for his struggles.

With Wall out, opponents were able to sell out on Beal defensively, knowing that he'll be the Wizards' primary weapon in the backcourt. That's led Beal to knock down only 36.7 percent of his field-goal attempts and 32.3 percent of his three-point tries.

In January, however, Beal's been proving why he's worth the No. 3 overall pick. Through the Wizards' first five games of the month, he averaged 18.2 points, four rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 42 percent from the field and 56 percent from three-point range.

The Wizards drafted Beal for him to become the floor-spacing complement to Wall's dribble-drive game. There's no way to know how that experiment turns out until Wall, who returns to the lineup Saturday night, is back at full speed, but Beal appears to be quickly adapting to the rigors of the NBA.

No. 4: Cleveland Cavaliers, Andre Drummond

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Original Pick: Dion Waiters

Had the Cleveland Cavaliers known how NBA-ready Andre Drummond would appear right out of the gate, they'd be responsible for the first shake-up in the 2012 draft redo.

Dion Waiters has struggled as a rookie, averaging as many field-goal attempts as points (14.2) per game through 30 games. He's shooting only 37.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range, despite having Kyrie Irving to set him up.

Can you imagine what Drummond would be doing around the rim with a point guard like Irving? Let's just call it "Lob City: East."

Drummond leads all rookies in win shares (2.9) and PER (22.0), despite playing fewer than 20 minutes per game for the Detroit Pistons.

He's been nothing short of a revelation for Detroit this year and could have given Cleveland an excellent backup plan for when Anderson Varejao leaves, either via trade or free agency.

No. 5: Sacramento Kings, Damian Lillard

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Original Pick: Thomas Robinson

The first four teams on this list don't deserve to be scolded for passing over Damian Lillard. They either faced an obvious choice (New Orleans with Anthony Davis) or already had a young lottery-pick point guard to build around (Charlotte with Kemba Walker, Washington with John Wall and Cleveland with Kyrie Irving).

The Sacramento Kings had no such excuse.

Lillard has emerged as the clear Rookie of the Year favorite for the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging an eye-popping 18.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. The Kings don't have a player on their roster averaging more than 3.3 assists per game.

USA Today's Sam Amick reported on Jan. 3 that the Kings drafted Robinson over Lillard in part because of "internal doubt about ownership's ability or willingness to pony up for restricted free agent Jason Thompson," despite "strong support for Lillard among the team's front office and scouting staff."

The Kings ended up signing Thompson to a five-year, roughly $30 million deal, which largely relegated Robinson to the bench. Seeing how well Lillard's been playing as a rookie, the Kings wouldn't make the same mistake twice in a re-draft.

No. 6: Portland Trail Blazers, Jared Sullinger

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Original Pick: Damian Lillard

With Lillard off the board, the Trail Blazers likely would have explored trading this pick. The team desperately needed help at point guard, but the rookie seasons of Austin Rivers and Kendall Marshall wouldn't exactly be enticing for Portland.

If Portland couldn't trade for whatever reason, the Blazers would have to go with Jared Sullinger. He slipped out of the lottery due to concerns about his back and his size, but he's been a late-round steal for the Boston Celtics to date.

His limited minutes (19.3 MPG) have kept his per-game stats relatively low (6.1 points and 5.9 rebounds), but he ranks third among rookies behind Andre Drummond and John Henson in defensive rebounding rate (23.0). He's also third with 2.2 total win shares.

Sullinger wouldn't necessarily fill a need for the Blazers with LaMarcus Aldridge already at power forward. But as long as his back holds up, he would have been a nice piece for the Blazers to build around in lieu of Lillard.

No. 7: Golden State Warriors, Harrison Barnes

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Original Pick: Harrison Barnes

Although Harrison Barnes hasn't yet emerged as a dominant scorer for the Golden State Warriors, there's no one left on the re-draft board who they'd rather take. (Andre Drummond would have complicated things.)

Barnes has started all 35 games of his rookie season for the surprising 23-12 Warriors, but he's only averaging 9.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game.

His shooting averages of 43.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range aren't as bad as those of Bradley Beal or Dion Waiters, but they aren't anything special either.

The good news is that the 20-year-old Barnes has only begun to reach his full potential, which speaks kindly to the long-term future of the Warriors.

Between Barnes, Stephen Curry and David Lee, the Warriors have enough talent to become regulars in the playoffs over the next half-decade.

No. 8: Toronto Raptors, Terrence Ross

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Original Pick: Terrence Ross

Up until the end of December, the Raptors would have likely selected Dion Waiters over Terrence Ross in a 2012 re-draft.

Ross' minutes and field-goal attempts fluctuated wildly until the end of November, when he started receiving somewhere between 15-to-25 minutes per game. A month later, Ross started hitting his stride and justifying his selection at the No. 8 spot.

He exploded for a career-high 26 points in 25 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 2, looking like the go-to scorer that the Raptors could only hope for when drafting him.

Ross still has a ways to go, but his potential alone would make Toronto still pick him No. 8 overall in the re-draft.

No. 9: Detroit Pistons, Dion Waiters

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Original Pick: Andre Drummond

Behind the Portland Trail Blazers, the Detroit Pistons would have the most reason to be upset about this re-draft. Instead of getting a more-ready-than-expected Drummond, they'd have to take a less-ready-than-expected player like Dion Waiters.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have largely put Waiters in the starting lineup out of necessity, but the Pistons would have no such need.

Like Bradley Beal, Waiters has struggled with his shot. He's averaging an impressive 14.2 points per game for the Cavs, but he's only shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range.

Assuming he wouldn't have started right away, his per-game stats would have looked even less impressive with Detroit. Compared to this alternate reality, the Pistons are more than pleased with how thereal draft went.

No. 10: New Orleans Hornets, Thomas Robinson

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Original Pick: Austin Rivers

The New Orleans Hornets may not have redone their selection of Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick (wisely), but the No. 10 selection of Austin Rivers would be a guaranteed redo.

Rivers has contributed a whopping minus-one win share to the Hornets thus far, ranking dead last out of any rookie. As of late December, Rivers was on track for the worst wins-above-replacement-player score in 34 seasons, according to Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus.

Instead, the Hornets could select the suddenly plummeting Thomas Robinson with the best-available-player mentality, despite already selecting a big man in Davis with their first pick.

Robinson hasn't made much of an impact for the Sacramento Kings, but that's largely because he's buried behind DeMarcus Cousins, Chuck Hayes and Jason Thompson. Had Sacramento not re-signed Thompson to a five-year deal this summer, Robinson would be seeing a boost in minutes by default.

Getting the player who finished second in Player of the Year voting in college to Davis with the No. 10 overall pick would be seen as a steal for the Hornets, no matter how little impact Robinson has made in his rookie season.

No. 11: Portland Trail Blazers, Tony Wroten

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Original Pick: Meyers Leonard

The Portland Trail Blazers entered the draft needing the most help at the 1 and the 5. After missing out on Damian Lillard and picking Jared Sullinger sixth overall, Portland would pick 19-year-old Tony Wroten at No. 11 to address its hole at point guard.

Meyers Leonard hasn't been terrible for the Blazers by any means, but going into a season with only Ronnie Price and Nolan Smith at the point would only be a wise plan for a team gunning for the No. 1 overall pick.

Having Wroten as the starting point guard wouldn't be nearly as ideal as Lillard for Portland, but it's better than Austin Rivers or Kendall Marshall, the two highest-rated point guard prospects remaining.

He's played only spot minutes in the NBA, but he's been a solid contributor in the D-League for the Reno Bighorns. Through 10 games, he's averaging 15.7 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 41 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. (His 53 percent free-throw shooting leaves much to be desired, however.)

No. 12: Houston Rockets, Andrew Nicholson

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Original Pick: Jeremy Lamb (later traded to Oklahoma City Thunder)

If the Houston Rockets had to select Jeremy Lamb for the James Harden trade to go down in October, there's no question the franchise would do exactly that once again. Harden's been the superstar the Rockets have sought for years.

If not, the Rockets would swap Lamb out for Andrew Nicholson, who's been surprisingly solid for an otherwise listless Orlando Magic team.

He's contributed 1.2 win shares, which ranks ninth among rookies, despite Orlando only having 12 wins on the season.

He's been surprisingly efficient shooting the ball from virtually anywhere within the three-point line, according to HoopData. For a Rockets team with three first-round picks and a hunger for young talent, Nicholson would fit the bill in a re-draft over Lamb.

No. 13: Phoenix Suns, John Henson

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Original Pick: Kendall Marshall

The Phoenix Suns attempted to jump-start the post-Steve Nash era by drafting Marshall with the No. 13 pick. But the former UNC guard has hardly gotten off the bench, appearing in only 10 games this season.

John Henson of the Milwaukee Bucks, meanwhile, ranks fifth in PER (18.0) out of all rookies who have appeared in at least 10 games.

He saw limited playing time throughout November and December, but he was put in the rotation in January, beginning against the San Antonio Spurs. In the first three games of the month, Henson averaged 12.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

The Suns' signing of Goran Dragic in the summer of 2012 negated the need for Marshall. The talent-starved Suns could use all the frontcourt help they could get, and Henson would have been great value here for Phoenix.

No. 14: Milwaukee Bucks, Tyler Zeller

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Original Pick: John Henson

With their original pick (Henson) snapped up by the Phoenix Suns, the Milwaukee Bucks would turn their attention to Tyler Zeller and Meyers Leonard, the two best bigs left on the board.

Based on their rookie seasons, Zeller edges out Leonard as the more desirable of the two prospects.

Zeller's career began on the wrong foot when a DeAndre Jordan elbow led to a broken cheekbone on Nov. 2, but he's only earned more and more playing time each month.

With Anderson Varejao sidelined due to a bruised right knee, Zeller stepped right into the starting lineup and hasn't been half bad. His PER of 10.4 doesn't scream superstar, but he's been a strong rebounder all season and solid scorer since Varejao went down.

No. 15: Philadelphia 76ers, Maurice Harkless

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Original Pick: Maurice Harkless (later traded to Orlando Magic)

After selecting Maurice Harkless with the No. 15 overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers turned around less than two months later and included him in the trade that brought them Andrew Bynum in return.

Given the ongoing drama surrounding Bynum's knees, it's safe to say that the Sixers would like a redo on that trade.

Harkless, however, would still be a worthy selection at No. 15, even without the trade. The Sixers would have explored alternative trades for Andre Iguodala to open regular minutes for Harkless and Evan Turner on the wing.

He's fallen out of the rotation in Orlando in favor of DeQuan Jones, but the rangy forward has enough potential to still make him worth a top-15 pick.

No. 16: Houston Rockets, Meyers Leonard

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Original Pick: Royce White

If there's any team that would like a redo on their 2012 draft pick, it's the Houston Rockets and their selection of White with the No. 16 overall pick.

At this point, there's a legitimate possibility that White's anxiety disorder could cause him to never play a minute in the NBA. He has the talent of a top-five pick, but other teams were too afraid of White's condition to draft him.

The situation only got uglier on Jan. 6 when the Rockets suspended White for "refusing to provide services" required by his contract. Instead of falling into this mess, the Rockets instead could pick Meyers Leonard in the re-draft to give themselves a legitimate backup center for Omer Asik.

Leonard's playing time has only shrunk with the emergence of J.J. Hickson on the Blazers, and he likely wouldn't see many more minutes with Houston. Still, talented seven-footers don't grow on trees, and Houston would happily let Leonard develop in the D-League if he couldn't carve out a role in the rotation.

No. 17: Dallas Mavericks, Jae Crowder

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Original Pick: Tyler Zeller (traded to Cleveland Cavaliers)

Given how quickly Jae Crowder found his way into the Dallas Mavericks' regular rotation, there's no way the Mavs would let him slip into the second round in a re-draft.

With Dirk Nowitzki on the mend at the start of the season, Crowder jumped right in and averaged roughly 20 minutes per game in November and December. On the season, he's averaging 5.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal in 18.1 minutes per game.

He struggled with his shot in December, knocking down only 26.3 percent of his shots from the floor and 18.9 percent of his three-point attempts. However, out of the 2012 draft class, Crowder is tied for 15th in win shares (0.5) with Festus Ezeli, Jeffery Taylor and Draymond Green.

He came into the league known as an "energy" guy, drawing natural comparisons to Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets. If Crowder turns out to be anywhere near as successful as Faried, the Mavericks would happily grab him with a mid-first-round pick in a draft redo.

No. 18: Houston Rockets, Terrence Jones

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Original Pick: Terrence Jones

Terrence Jones hasn't had much opportunity yet to strut his stuff in the big leagues, but that doesn't mean the Houston Rockets made a mistake picking him 18th overall. In a re-draft, the team would likely do the exact same thing.

He's only appeared in 11 NBA games, averaging 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.3 minutes. The presence of Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson on the roster haven't left much time for Jones, who headed back to the D-League in late December after an earlier two-game D-League stint.

In the D-League, Jones has been showing what makes him such an enticing prospect. In the Rio Grande Valley Vipers' five-game stint from Dec. 29 through Jan. 9, he averaged 18.8 points, 10 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

Once Houston sorts out its frontcourt rotation for the long haul, Jones should eventually force his way into playing regular minutes. Until then, he's lucky to be on an NBA team that has no hesitation about utilizing the D-League to develop its young players.

No. 19: Orlando Magic, Festus Ezeli

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Original Pick: Andrew Nicholson

With Andrew Nicholson long off the board at this point, the Orlando Magic would likely turn their attention to finding a player who could be groomed as a Dwight Howard successor.

Howard hadn't yet been traded by the time of the 2012 draft, but the writing was on the wall by that point. At most, Orlando had one more year with the big man before he left for greener pastures.

Festus Ezeli isn't the sexiest name to rile up the Magic fanbase, but he's been a workable starter for the surprisingly solid Golden State Warriors. His per-game numbers of 2.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.1 minutes don't scream superstar, but he's a starter for his size and defense, not his scoring ability.

Had the Magic drafted Ezeli with the No. 19 overall pick and gone ahead with the same four-way trade for Howard that unfolded, the team would have two young, promising big men in Ezeli and Nikola Vucevic. For a team at the start of its rebuild, that wouldn't have been so bad.

No. 20: Denver Nuggets, Jeffery Taylor

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Original Pick: Evan Fournier

Given that Evan Fournier hasn't quite set the world on fire during his time with the Denver Nuggets, in a re-draft, the team would likely look to a player like Jeffery Taylor.

Taylor found his way into the Charlotte Bobcats' starting lineup in the second game of the season and stayed there through mid-December.

He's putting up a subpar PER of 9.6 (the league average is 15), according to Basketball Reference, but that's not a total shock given the dearth of talent around him on the Bobcats.

On the Nuggets, Taylor could focus much more exclusively on the defensive side of the ball, where he's already shown flashes of being solid. He'd be the eventual successor to the newly acquired Andre Iguodala.

No. 21: Boston Celtics, Fab Melo

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Original Pick: Jared Sullinger

With Jared Sullinger long off the board by this point, the Boston Celtics would likely look to draft the player they took next, Fab Melo, based off his D-League performance this season.

Through 12 games with the Maine Red Claws, Melo's averaging a modest 10.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game, but he's also throwing in an eye-popping 3.8 blocks per game.

No. 22: Boston Celtics, Austin Rivers

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Original Pick: Fab Melo

Austin Rivers hasn't done a thing as a rookie to justify being drafted in the first round. But it's tough to see his father, who just so happens to be the coach of the Boston Celtics, letting him fall any further than this.

Despite averaging 25.9 minutes per game, Rivers is only averaging 6.5 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds a game. He's attempting 7.3 shots per game, but he's knocking down fewer than a third of them.

Through the first two months of the season, Rivers projected to finish nearly seven wins below a replacement-level player, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Despite all of that, Doc Rivers wouldn't pass up a chance to coach his son into being a solid backup to Rajon Rondo.

No. 23: Atlanta Hawks, John Jenkins

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Original Pick: John Jenkins

If John Jenkins remained on the board for Atlanta in the re-draft, there's almost no question the Hawks would pounce on him once more.

Jenkins was unable to carve out much of a role in the Hawks' rotation until late December. But the rookie's been forcing his way into some minutes ever since.

He drained six of his eight three-point attempts in the Hawks' four games from Dec. 28 through Jan. 1, and he knocked down four of his seven three-point tries in the three games between Jan. 8 and Jan. 11.

He came out of Vanderbilt known as one of the better shooters in the draft, and that stroke has been on display as of late. As long as Jenkins can keep drilling shots from deep, he'll find a way to earn at least 15-20 minutes per game for the Hawks, leaving them no regrets with their late first-round pick.

No. 24: Cleveland Cavaliers, Jeremy Lamb

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Original Pick: Jared Cunningham (traded to Dallas Mavericks)

In this re-draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Andre Drummond fourth overall, which means their real pick, Dion Waiters, isn't there to fill in the team's hole at shooting guard.

With the No. 24 pick, assuming it doesn't get traded to Dallas, the Cavs would address their hole at shooting guard by picking the best remaining player at the position, Jeremy Lamb.

Lamb has only seen spot minutes for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he's lighting up the D-League playing for the Tulsa 66ers. Through 11 games, he's averaging 21.5 points 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, a steal and 0.8 blocks in 36 minutes per game.

His three-point shot hasn't started falling consistently yet, as he's only shooting 29.5 percent from deep. He's knocking down an impressive 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts, though.

No. 25: Memphis Grizzlies, Bernard James

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Original Pick: Tony Wroten

Given how well Bernard James fit into the Dallas Mavericks' rotation in the early part of the 2012-13 season, the Memphis Grizzlies would be happy to scoop him up here with the No. 25 pick.

After earning somewhat consistent minutes throughout November, James largely dropped out of the Mavs' rotation upon the return of Dirk Nowitzki. On the season, he's averaging 3.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in only 11.2 minutes per game, shooting 51.9 percent from the field.

He's putting up an above-average PER of 16.0, and he's tied for 12th among rookies in win shares (0.6) alongside Terrence Ross and Tyler Zeller, according to Basketball Reference.

James would only play spot minutes behind Marc Gasol and Hamed Haddadi in the Grizzlies' lineup, but he's already appeared well on his way to earning a spot in a team's regular rotation. For a late first-round pick, that's great value.

No. 26: Indiana Pacers, Draymond Green

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Original Pick: Miles Plumlee

Draymond Green slipped into the early portion of the second round in the real 2012 draft, but in this re-draft, the Indiana Pacers wouldn't let him slip further than 26th.

The former Michigan State product played 17.6 minutes per game in December for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks.

He's been struggling from the floor, however, shooting only 30.3 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from three-point range.

His PER of 8.3 is barely half the league average of 15, yet he's contributed as many win shares (0.5) as Festus Ezeli, Jeffery Taylor and Jae Crowder, according to Basketball Reference. He has the appearance of a glue guy in the making, which would be a steal for the Pacers with the No. 26 pick.

No. 27: Miami Heat, Jared Cunningham

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Original Pick: Arnett Moultrie (traded to Philadelphia 76ers)

If the Miami Heat didn't plan on trading this pick, the team would either look for a big man to address their rebounding troubles or another versatile shooter for their backcourt, figuring Ray Allen can't last forever.

Although Jared Cunningham hasn't shown much in the NBA to date, he could end up being a solid wing player. To date, he has only appeared in eight games for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging two points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.1 steals in 3.3 minutes per game.

In the D-League, however, he's been showing off what made him such an enticing late first-round prospect. He's shooting only 34.7 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three-point range, but he's averaging 18.1 points, three assists, 2.9 rebounds and a steal through seven games with the Texas Legends.

Cunningham likely wouldn't see many minutes for the Heat this season, but he'd be worth stashing on the roster or in the D-League until Allen's inevitable age-related demise.

No. 28: Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendall Marshall

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Original Pick: Perry Jones III

Nothing against Perry Jones III, whose hyper-athleticism could end up making him one of the steals of the draft one day, but if Kendall Marshall fell this far in the re-draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder would have a tough time passing him up.

Marshall has hardly been able to crack the rotation for the moribund Phoenix Suns, but he fared slightly better in his nine-game D-League stint with the Bakersfield Jam.

He only averaged 9.6 points per game on 31.3 percent shooting from the field, but he averaged 7.6 assists per game, second in the league only to Reggie Jackson of the Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma City Thunder).

With teams inquiring about the availability of Eric Maynor, the Thunder could be prepared to promote Reggie Jackson to Russell Westbrook's backup, opening a hole for a third point guard like Marshall.

No. 29: Chicago Bulls, Marquis Teague

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Original Pick: Marquis Teague

It's tough to see the Chicago Bulls doing anything differently in this re-draft, especially if the Oklahoma City Thunder scoop up Kendall Marshall the pick before their own.

Marquis Teague hasn't earned consistent minutes for Chicago this season despite the ongoing absence of starting point guard Derrick Rose, but he's been stepping up when called upon.

Teague remains more of a project than a ready-made NBA starter, but his speed will make him a nightmare backup point guard for a fully healthy Derrick Rose. Opponents won't be able to catch a breath for 48 minutes.

No. 30: Golden State Warriors, Perry Jones III

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Original Pick: Festus Ezeli

Festus Ezeli is long off the board at this point in the re-draft, leaving the Golden State Warriors to make the same gamble the Oklahoma City Thunder did in the real draft in June.

Perry Jones came into the draft with questions about his "motor," his knees and his position. To date, he's proving to be a work in progress, albeit one that's hyper-athletic and loaded with potential.

Through 11 games with the Thunder's D-League affiliate (the Tulsa 66ers), Jones is averaging 14.1 points, seven rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 33 minutes per game. His shooting percentages—44.4 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range and 61.5 from the free-throw line—still leave much to be desired.

To his credit, he did explode for 13 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two steals on Jan. 11 against the Santa Cruz Warriors, but he shot only 5-of-19 from the field. He has enough captivating talent to make him worth a first-round pick, but he's not ready to contribute regularly to an NBA team just yet.